The Observed Changes in Climate Characteristics in the Trebinje Vineyard Area (Bosnia and Herzegovina)

Abstract

The productivity and quality of grapes and wine are significantly influenced by changing climate conditions in vineyard regions worldwide. This study assesses changes in temperature, precipitation, and viticultural indices between the periods of 1971–1990 and 2000–2019 in Trebinje, a vineyard area located in the Herzegovina region of Bosnia and Herzegovina. Between the two periods, mean annual temperature increased by 2 °C and mean vegetational temperature by 2.4 °C, while mean precipitation remained within the range of climatological variability, with annual values increasing by 6% and vegetational values decreasing by 4.6%. Warming resulted in a longer duration of the vegetation season by 23.7 days, a reduced risk of late spring frosts, and an increased risk of very high temperatures during summer. These changes led to the reclassification of Trebinje vineyards’ climate from Region III to Region V, based on the Winkler index values, from a “temperate warm” to a “warm” category, based on the Huglin heliothermic index, and from “cool nights” to “temperate nights” based on the cool nights index. The category of the dryness index remained unchanged between the two periods. The findings emphasize the necessity for a renewal of the viticultural zoning and the development of climate change-adaptation plans for this region.